Medicines informationOverview

This page explains the different types of medicine, the difference between branded drugs and generics, and how the medicines become available.

Which medicines can I buy without prescription?

Some medicines for minor illnesses can be bought over the counter without a prescription, so you can treat yourself without needing to see a GP.

Simple painkillers and cough remedies, for example, can be bought directly from supermarkets and other stores.

Other types of medicine, such as eye drops or emergency contraception, are available without a prescription but need a pharmacist's supervision, so are only available to buy from behind the pharmacy counter.

Prescription-only medicines, such as antibiotics, must be prescribed by a qualified health professional.

This may be a GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, pharmacist, optometrist, physiotherapist or podiatrist.

Brand names versus generics

the brand name – created by the pharmaceutical company that made the medicine

the generic name – the name of the active ingredient in the medicine

For example, sildenafil is the generic name of a medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction. But the company that makes sildenafil, Pfizer, sells it under the brand name Viagra.

Companies take out exclusive rights called patents on each new drug they discover. If a company has a patent on a drug, only that company can market it under their brand name once it's been granted a licence.

Once the patent expires, other manufacturers can market generic versions. The generic versions will be the same as the branded medicine because they contain the same active ingredients.

They are used more often by the NHS because they're just as effective but cost far less. It's similar to buying branded goods or a supermarket's own label – the supermarket's version is usually cheaper.

If the name of your prescription medicine keeps changing, it might be because you're being given the generic version rather than the branded one.

How new medicines become available

Licensed medicines

Before any new medicine can be used to treat people in the UK, it goes through a strictly monitored development process.

This involves researching the medicine in the lab and testing it in clinical trials. After passing the clinical trials, a licence will be granted before it can be made available for wider use.